I was honoured to receive one of the Society for Endocrinology’s Leadership and Development Awards in 2022. Since then, this programme has benefited me in many ways, including supporting my attendance at the annual SfE BES conference and the Leadership Retreat. I was also selected to participate in the SfE BES Programme Committee, which I have now been a part of for two years.

My involvement with the Society goes back many years. When I reflected on my career in endocrinology, in preparation for this article, the Society’s enduring positive impact on my development became crystal clear to me. I first attended and presented at SfE BES 2016 in Brighton, and have attended and presented at the majority of the annual conferences since. When I was a student, I received Travel Grants from the Society to support my attendance. I was awarded the Early Career Research Grant in 2019, which allowed me to continue my research at Imperial College London after I completed my PhD. Students and trainees with whom I have completed research projects have also received Travel Grants, which has allowed them to attend and present at meetings too.

Membership of the Programme Committee has been very rewarding. We get to review and discuss many of the latest advances in the specialty, to see what should be included in the programme. It has also helped me to keep in touch with my UK colleagues, now that I am back working in Dublin, and has facilitated meeting lots of new people. I have also found it invaluable to have access to expert colleagues, to discuss challenging cases and get advice when needed. I have since been asked to be a committee member for the Joint Irish–UK Endocrine Meeting in Belfast in October, and the Society’s inaugural Reproductive Endocrinology meeting, which will take place in Birmingham in December.

I participated in the Leadership Retreat, which is part of the Leadership and Development Award Programme, in October last year. Not only were the location and the company great (Hogarth’s Hotel in Solihull is so nice!), I have definitely utilised some of the skills and insights that we garnered over the two-day retreat in my consultant role. Attending a course like that, and reflecting on your own leadership style and practices, is something I would highly recommend, especially to junior consultants or academics.

I am passionate about reproductive endocrinology, and I have been delighted to see growth in interest in this field in recent years. It is crucial that we inspire and train many more reproductive endocrinologists, so it is great to see more of this content included in the Society’s activities. I am really looking forward to the Society’s dedicated Reproductive Endocrinology event this year.

I strongly encourage you to apply for the Leadership and Development Award Programme if you are considering it, or to apply for membership of one of the Society’s committees. Involvement with the Society has undoubtedly benefited my career over the years, and I am sure it will continue to do so in the years ahead.

LISA OWENS
Consultant Endocrinologist, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
Senior Lecturer in Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland